|
Post by monklady123 on Aug 5, 2014 10:27:26 GMT
Yes, true confessions here. Since I'm a Dinosaur I'm sure I was assigned this book when I was in high school. But either I never read it (as much as I have always been a reader I never liked English classes) or I've totally forgotten. However, in my thread about re-reading books many of you mentioned "To Kill a Mockingbird". I was reading the thread to dd and she said that she was assigned this on a list where they could choose one of four or five choices, and she chose something else. But one of her friends did a report on it and it sounded good she said. So I ordered a copy from Amazon. It came yesterday. I started reading it, then had to go to work. Came home and the book was gone. Dd had it in her room. I took it back thinking I'd start reading again but then I was too tired last night after a long day so I left it on the table. It's gone again this morning, and ds just came to me and asked if he could take it to work. lololol I'm getting ready to go get it from dd's bedside since she's still asleep. Should have bought three copies. lol Anyway, just thought I'd mention this shocking bit of news that I haven't read this book (that I can remember anyway). But I'll be fixing that problem. Oh, and you'll be the first to know if ds likes it because his genre of reading leans toward Steampunk stuff, or regular science fiction.
|
|
|
Post by christine58 on Aug 5, 2014 10:28:31 GMT
One of my favorite books!!
|
|
|
Post by gar on Aug 5, 2014 10:30:20 GMT
Mine too. I'm not particularly well read but that one left it's mark in a small way
|
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 5, 2014 10:41:11 GMT
I love this book. i must have read it 10 times.
|
|
|
Post by AussieMeg on Aug 5, 2014 10:48:49 GMT
Haha that's funny - I hope you get to read it soon!
|
|
|
Post by gillyp on Aug 5, 2014 11:05:33 GMT
A friend gave me this when I was in my early 30's because I had other friends and work colleagues who were in the group The Boo Radleys. I need to re-read it. I love the film version.
|
|
grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
|
Post by grinningcat on Aug 5, 2014 11:09:49 GMT
My first reaction to your thread title was "I'm sorry". I hated that book, though it could be that we were forced to read it in school and with the exception of one book, I have hated all forced reads of books. I suppose I should read it again, but I just hate the book so much that I can't even fathom the thought of that.
BUT... I do think it's hilarious that it keeps getting stolen by your kids.
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Aug 5, 2014 11:12:33 GMT
Here is a shocking confession: I never read it until I was an adult. It wasn't part of my high school curriculum-there was some kind of cockamamie thing going on when I was in school that decided that any kind of reading was okay and contemporary would draw us all in. End result, I read "Dinkey Hocker Shoots Smack" rather than "To Kill A Mockingbird." So I was in my early 30's before I read it. I loved it.
|
|
|
Post by zoeybug on Aug 5, 2014 11:24:03 GMT
I didn't read this until I was thirty-one ( I went to high school in Mississippi until the middle of my junior year, I don't know how I missed out ). I was pregnant and in bed rest with my middle child and I was determined to name this child Harper Lee if it was a girl and Atticus if it was a boy. Well, the "baby" is 17 now and his father wisely convinced me to name him Samuel Pierce, both are family names, and not saddle him with a Mockingbird name. And I'm very thankful...I know three girls named Scout.
ETA-and I forgot to add- it is my FAVORITE book of all time and one of my favorite movies too.
|
|
|
Post by giatocj on Aug 5, 2014 11:38:22 GMT
My grandson is reading it now (he's 14) and I reread it before he started. Still one of my favorites and he is really enjoying it, too,,,and he's not a big reader.
|
|
AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,842
Location: USA
Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
|
Post by AmeliaBloomer on Aug 5, 2014 12:16:36 GMT
If some of you didn't read the book, it could have been because your school had a policy against assigning it or possibly even offering it in the library. Nope, not kidding.The American Library Association regularly reports on book "challenges" to libraries and schools. As recently as 2011, "To Kill a Mockingbird" appeared on the Top Ten list of challenged books; it has made many appearances on that list in the past. Sometimes schools ignore challenges; other times, they take action. link
This always gets a lot of press during Banned Books Week, which is in September. Mockingbird is always mentioned.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Aug 5, 2014 12:16:43 GMT
I love this book too. I'm not a re-reader but I did read this book three times I think--once when I was assigned it in school, once when my ds was assigned it, and once when it was our book club. It's a fantastic book and I love that the whole family is in on it. I've read it and so have all three of my kids. We all enjoyed it.
I'm all for forced reading too, which is probably why I join book clubs now that I'm no longer in school. I love being required to read something that maybe I wouldn't have chosen on my own. I've found some wonderful books that way that I probably would have never discovered otherwise.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 22:27:42 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 12:21:43 GMT
I actually tried to read it last week, it was a free download for Kindle. I couldn't get passed the first few pages, I just hated it.
|
|
sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,652
Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
|
Post by sweetpeasmom on Aug 5, 2014 12:23:32 GMT
I read it in 6th grade English class. I too did not like assigned reading as much as I love to read. However, I think I did enjoy that one. We love watching the movie too.
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Aug 5, 2014 12:45:26 GMT
If some of you didn't read the book, it could have been because your school had a policy against assigning it or possibly even offering it in the library. Nope, not kidding.The American Library Association regularly reports on book "challenges" to libraries and schools. As recently as 2011, "To Kill a Mockingbird" appeared on the Top Ten list of challenged books; it has made many appearances on that list in the past. Sometimes schools ignore challenges; other times, they take action. link
This always gets a lot of press during Banned Books Week, which is in September. Mockingbird is always mentioned. In my case, and I think this is almost worse in a way, it was because they were testing out a new curriculum in my school that replaced "classics" with contemporary literature/poetry/writing assignments (or what was then considered literature.) I went to a school that was specifically designed to test new exams, curriculum and other educationally related policies. I only know about what happened was because, unbeknownst to me, my mother went to several meetings with the teachers to "right that particular wrong" (her words.) I can say that I never read anything remotely considered classic and had to do it as an adult. What I didn't realize was that had I read it in school, it would have been a guided lesson that would have helped me with understanding deeper themes. I am really sorry I missed that.
|
|
AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,842
Location: USA
Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
|
Post by AmeliaBloomer on Aug 5, 2014 12:54:31 GMT
In my case, and I think this is almost worse in a way, it was because they were testing out a new curriculum in my school that replaced "classics" with contemporary literature/poetry/writing assignments. Ha! When I first read it, it WAS contemporary.
|
|
scraptag
Full Member
Posts: 243
Location: Pacific Northwest
Jun 28, 2014 23:03:10 GMT
|
Post by scraptag on Aug 5, 2014 12:57:35 GMT
After you have read it - you should listen to the audio book.
|
|
peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
Jun 25, 2014 22:18:04 GMT
|
Post by peabrain on Aug 5, 2014 13:00:26 GMT
Love the book and the movie too.
|
|
|
Post by Goldynn on Aug 5, 2014 13:11:46 GMT
I loved the book and the movie but have never felt the need to read it again.
|
|
|
Post by ajsweetpea on Aug 5, 2014 13:45:52 GMT
I read it in high school and just thought it was "okay". Then I read it again as an adult and absolutely loved it. I think having more life experience, it made more sense to me. I sometimes wonder why they waste great literature on us when we are in high school!
|
|
stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,600
Location: In the leaves and rain.
Jun 25, 2014 19:57:33 GMT
|
Post by stittsygirl on Aug 5, 2014 13:48:23 GMT
I remember my daughter was reading it when my MIL was alive, and I was talking to her about it. I was shocked to find out MIL had never read it, even though she had also been an educator at the elementary school level. She told me the book had come out when she was already an adult and young mother and working too, and she just didn't have the time if it wasn't mandatory reading. I had always thought the book older than it is, but it's barely older than my husband, and Harper Lee is still living . It's one of my favorite books, and movies, as well.
|
|
|
Post by 1lear on Aug 5, 2014 13:56:30 GMT
Hmmm, I've never read it. After reading this thread, now I want to but I have imposed a do-not-buy anymore books until I've read the pile I have rule! It may take 6 months to be able to read it.
|
|
|
Post by CarolinaGirl71 on Aug 5, 2014 13:59:52 GMT
I read it last summer - I thought I had never read it, but near the end of the book, I realized that I did read it in high school. It's a great book
|
|
kelkel
Junior Member
Posts: 77
Jul 10, 2014 16:31:30 GMT
|
Post by kelkel on Aug 5, 2014 14:01:38 GMT
One of my all time favorites! Enjoy!
|
|
|
Post by utmr on Aug 5, 2014 14:09:58 GMT
One of my favorites. I read it for the first time when I was about 11 but never read it in high school. When DD was in middle school it was required reading and she hated it.
I think the forced march through otherwise interesting literature ruins it for a lot of us. I couldn't believe all the "symbolism" and other literary crap the teacher threw at the kids in an effort to ruin a wonderful book.
"What does the rabid dog symbolize?" It symbolizes that there was not rabies vaccine in rural depression-era Alabama and that's why you don't pet stray dogs. Wrong. Argh.
A great book. Go read it if you haven't.
|
|
|
Post by 5peanutsnana on Aug 5, 2014 14:21:22 GMT
I'm sure it must have been required reading for me at some point, but it was so long ago I can't remember. Think I might have to put it on my to read list. My 11 yr. old DGD is named Addie after Atticus. Her mom really likes the book.
|
|
~Susan~
Pearl Clutcher
You need to check your boobs, mine tried to kill me!!!
Posts: 3,259
Jul 6, 2014 17:25:32 GMT
|
Post by ~Susan~ on Aug 5, 2014 14:26:34 GMT
I am another that didn't read it in school. I actually saw the movie first when I was in my early 20s and loved it. And as we all know, the book is always better than the movie, so I decided to read the book I now own in it in hardback.
|
|
GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,457
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
|
Post by GiantsFan on Aug 5, 2014 14:29:16 GMT
That's funny. It's one of the few books that I will re - read.
|
|
|
Post by Sparki on Aug 5, 2014 14:38:00 GMT
I read it in high school. I grew up just a few miles from Monroeville. It was very vivid and real to us, because we grew up in the area. It was surreal, a little bit, that someone had written a book about us down there in south AL.
|
|
|
Post by Heidi on Aug 5, 2014 14:40:18 GMT
I didn't read it until I was an adult. I'm sure I was supposed to read it sometime in school. Add me to the loved it bench.
|
|